baby chicks

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Hi everyone, We just got our order of baby chicks! These were a special where the hatchery chooses a few from several different breeds. The price is great, but we have no idea what we have. These are our first batch so were learning. Are there any web sites or books with pictures or descriptions of baby chick breeds? we would like some idea of what we have. Thanks L.A.

-- LA (Lromsa1@state.wy.us), June 20, 2000

Answers

congrats, it realy is fun to see how different the chicks will look with their second feathers. i find it hard to tell the breeds apart until then. if you wait about a month or so the breeds will be easier to tell apart. what hatcherey did they come from, do they only carry a few breeds so you can narrow it down?

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), June 20, 2000.

There is a website called Feathersite/Poultry/CGP, he has set up a picture dictionary of chickens and chicks. He doesn't have all the breeds but has most common ones and a few uncommon ones. I found it by going through links at The Coop/org/index. I love watching little ones feather out to see what they will look like-even though sometimes they are prettier in their baby feathers (I think) esp. the ones that look like little chipmucks. Have fun with your new babies.

-- Betty Modin (betty_m9@yahoo.com), June 20, 2000.

The most comprehensive catalog of breeds I've seen is McMurray Hatcherys color catalog. You can get a copy free from www.mcmurrayhatchery.com. You'll probably have to wait a bit until they feather out some to identify though.

-- Derrick Comfort (dcomfort@ccnmail.com), June 20, 2000.

LA, in reference to Derrick's message Murray McMurray does have a lot of breeds in fact last year we got there assorted beeds special. I didn't have a clue what they were untill thay were full grown. They do have a lot of breeds -probably the largest selection around- but the only drawback is they are color Paintings not photos, and most of them aren't completly realistic. I hope you have more luck figuring it out than I did. Naomi

PS somtimes they'll have desciptions of the chicks, but that would be a lot of work.

-- Naomi (beebedz@juno.com), June 21, 2000.


For the most part, I find it impossible to tell the chicks apart, except in broad categories. For instance, a black chick might be an Australorp, or a black giant, or a barred rock. White can be Rock, Orpington, Leghorn, Auracana, etc. The "chipmunks" are often Auracanas, but a Brown Leghorn chick is virtually identical. Once they get their "true colors" at 4 to 6 weeks, you'll have a lot better chance, but there are still great similarities. For instance, can anyone tell the difference between a "small Black Giant" and a "large Black Australorp"? McMurray even uses the exact same picture to illustrate them!!! Anyway, they'll be fun. GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), June 26, 2000.


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